Family motivation big for young fathers Program helps young fathers gain stability Children benefit from Fathers Project

October 26, 2008|By Robert Mitchum, TRIBUNE REPORTER

When Dominic Lewis' longtime girlfriend, Tasha Shipp, became pregnant in 2005, he found himself at a crossroads. A high school dropout recently released from prison, he wondered whether he was ready to be a father, and how he could provide the economic stability his child would need. "It was a shocking moment, but at the same time it was a motivating moment," Lewis said. "It just kind of hit me: I can't go back to jail, I just can't be in there."

On the advice of a neighbor, Lewis sought help from the YES! Fathers Project, a program run by Goodwill Industries of Metropolitan Chicago to help minority fathers between 18 and 21 find the employment and job skills necessary to be a stable influence on their children.

Being an active presence in his daughter's life was especially important to Lewis as both of his parents died when he was only 4. Raised by a grandmother and an aunt in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, Lewis, 21, said the pressure to put extra money in his pocket led him to the drug trade. A four-month term in prison for drug possession interrupted his junior year of high school, and he did not return to school.

Now, after three years with the South Loop-based program, Lewis has received employment training, job placement, help preparing for the GED exam and guidance on life and parenting. Goodwill trainers helped him create a resume, use online resources to apply for jobs and participate in mock job interviews.

"It helped with forming me, finding me. It put more perspective in my head, more things to think about than just going for the first thing or settling for the first option," Lewis said of the Goodwill program.

"Young fathers often don't understand what their role is in terms of being a parent; they don't understand how they fit into the world," said Jill Boepple, director of business development with Goodwill. "Our goal is to engage them and keep them engaged, so they can become a father, a man and a provider for their family. It really is about helping young men figure out what it means to be a man."

The $200,000-a-year program has assisted more than 150 young men since it began in 2001, said Vickii Coffey, executive director of Goodwill Industries of Metropolitan Chicago. Goodwill Industries is one of the Chicago-area organizations supported by Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV Holiday Giving, a campaign of Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Foundation Fund.

In Lewis' case, where a strong male role model was lacking during his formative years, Boepple said the program offered not only education but also a mentoring and support system.

"He came to us very green, very immature, with somewhat of an attitude, but he is a different guy than he was three years ago," Boepple said. "Even though he's sometimes gotten discouraged, he has continued to stay with it, and he has gotten a job and he is spending time with his daughter. I have seen him blossom."

Lewis has turned his training into steady employment, first with a temp agency providing security at city events and now at a restaurant.

"He's a good guy, he's looking to make something of himself," said Pabel Marrero, office manager of AAA Employment, the agency that has employed Lewis. "He's got a good attitude and he's responsible."

That newfound stability has made Lewis optimistic about the role he can play in the life of his daughter, Aniya, who will be 3 in February.

"I just want to be there, to teach her right from wrong and make sure that she finishes school, something I didn't do," Lewis said as Aniya squirmed happily in his arms last week. "Really I just want the best things, the things I didn't have, for her."